FORT PIERCE - John Carroll graduate and former first-round draft pick Colton Willems says he has thrown the last pitch of his professional baseball career.

Willems, who the Washington Nationals selected out of high school with the 22nd pick of the 2006 draft, told the organization he was retiring Saturday. The announcement came a day after a rough outing with the Class A Hagerstown Suns in which he gave up two earned runs in 1-1/3 innings.

The 21-year-old returned to Fort Pierce and plans to enter the regular work force before eventually going back to school.

"I just put my heart and soul into baseball," Willems said. "I've been doing it a long time. Over the past year or so I've made a lot of changes in the way I'm throwing. It hadn't worked out and I realize there are things to me that are more important than baseball.

"Baseball was always one of my favorite things to do, but I just got married in December, and my wife is pregnant now too, and I am realizing family is more important. I still have baseball but I wasn't getting anything out of it and things weren't working for me."

The 6-foot-4 right-hander had shown some success early on, earning New York-Penn League All-Star honors in 2007 with Vermont. He was bumped up to Hagerstown the following spring and finished the 2008 season with a 5-9 record and 3.70 ERA in 20 starts.

The Nationals promoted Willems to Class High-A Potomac last year, but he struggled in limited action, going 1-4 with a 7.40 ERA in only six starts before going back to the rookie Gulf Coast League.

Willems was reassigned to Hagerstown out of spring training this season and, working strictly out of the bullpen, he was 0-1 with a 9.49 ERA in 12-1/3 innings. He had allowed 13 earned runs, 18 hits and nine walks, and Friday the struggles continued as he allowed a run to score on one of two wild pitches he threw on the night.

"Things were going good earlier on," Willems said. "It was just last year was one of the worst years for me. I was struggling really bad, and this offseason I went out and tried to get myself on track. Things were good in the offseason, but then again things started going down hill so I decided I needed to come home and be with my family. I wasn't to where I thought I should have been."

Willems said the Nationals were making some changes to his mechanics, but when they didn't benefit him and he continued to struggle, he quickly lost confidence.

"It just didn't work," Willems said. "I couldn't find myself, and I spent hours and hours everyday trying to get back to where I was. I put so much time and effort into it, but it just wasn't happening."

Agent Mark Rodgers said he understood Willems' frustration but was surprised when his client told him of his decision to retire.

"If he is not having fun playing the game, you have to respect the decision," Rodgers said. "The last thing you want is someone to play baseball as a chore. He obviously was not having fun and he decided to take a step back."

According to a report by MiLB.com, the Nationals placed Willems on the restricted list so that he would still be under their control in case he decides to make a comeback.

Rodgers said he would applaud a decision to return, and he believed the Nationals would welcome Willems back with open arms.

"He is still only 21, he's never had an injury and he has a world of potential," Rodgers said. "The fact he has retired doesn't change any of those three things."

Willems said he was able to walk away without fear of later regrets.

"I'm not really worried about (regrets)," Willems said. "I know I have something here at home. I don't have to be rich to be happy as long as I'm with my family. Hopefully I will have a healthy baby here soon, and I don't have to worry. People can think what they think. They aren't in my shoes, and they don't know what I've been through."